What's next for Cypress Lakes, golf course?

Sunday

The situation with the St. Johns Golf Club could be on a path toward resolution. Or it could all go through the spin cycle again.

That's part of what residents will learn during a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the clubhouse.

St. Johns County Communications Director Michael Ryan, who will direct the meeting along with Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Billy Zeits, said he'll try to answer questions from residents and update the status of the plans to redo the public golf course.

Earlier this year, the county solicited requests for proposals on the course. The basic plan is to sell its excess property, which at one time was 27 holes, for residential development. In return, the county would require the developer to rebuild the golf course.

"There’s a whole lot of concerns and questions within the community regarding the master plan update and RFP process," Ryan said. "In an effort of transparency, we scheduled this meeting as soon as possible to make sure we could get some face time with the residents and keep them involved in the process as much as we can legally do so."

According to county estimates, there could be about 80 acres where approximately 200 homes could be added to the Cypress Lakes neighborhood.

The course is almost 30 years old and has significant drainage problems, Ryan said. The St. Johns County Commission has shown little interest in reinvesting in the course with money from the General Fund, and it allowed the administration to seek alternate avenues of securing the money needed to fix the course.

All RFPs have been received and are being scored by a committee formed to review the proposals. Those scores are expected to be revealed this week.

Once that is done, county staff will either bring the finalist's proposal to the County Commission or, if there is no clear-cut No. 1, staff will seek presentations by a group of finalists.

Whenever the top choice has been identified, the Commission will hear the details at a public meeting and decide the next course of action. The commissioners will have several choices.

"The County Commission could choose to go with the highest and best proposal," Ryan said. "They could choose to identify additional or other funding sources to repair and update and maintain the golf course. They could choose to not invest in the golf course at all."

Although it's been some time and with a different group of commissioners, there has been talk in the past of simply selling the course and letting a private company handle everything.

"The option of the county divesting itself from the golf course still remains a viable (option)," Ryan said. "That is a discussion that remains in the background as this process plays itself out."

The county's only public golf course has been operating at a deficit "for well over a decade," Ryan said. And the Commission has been working to change that model.

In recent years, the number of rounds played has decreased. There used to be enough play to justify 27 holes, but nine of the holes were closed in 2011.

Also, because of the old drainage system, the course loses many opportunities for play due to unplayable conditions.

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